UPDATE:
As the U.S. Attorney's Office continues their investigation, at this time they do not believe Jeffrey Schmutzler made an illegal contact with any Chambersburg Area School District female students. The investigation is still taking place.
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Chambersburg school teacher Jeffrey Schmutzler was arrested on Thursday and had his first hearing in front of a judge. During that hearing, he kept his head down and replied 'Yes sir' to questions. Schmutzler's parents were also at the hearing, and they say this came out of nowhere.
"The sheriff called me that they've arrested him. And we had no idea. It came as a total shock to us." Said Dorcus Schmutzler, Jeffrey's mother.
Jeffrey's father, Jim, agreed. "Out of nowhere. We didn't know anything about it."
42-year-old Schmutzler was arrested early Thursday morning and was taken to jail after police found four terabytes of suspected child pornography on his computer in his home.
Schmutzler was a Spanish teacher at Chambersburg Area High School and has been a teacher for the last 16 years. Authorities say child pornography was photoshopped by Schmutzler to have his students' faces edited to naked bodies, making it appear as though they were naked.
Neighbors in Schmutzler's neighborhood say that they had no idea, and Schmutzler kept to himself.
"It's frightening, because like I said, did you ever see him? No. And you've been here 6 or 7 years. It's disturbing to be so close and not know this is happening. right here in our neighborhood." Two neighbors told us.
"He's never harmed anybody, it's just you know we didn't know that he was doing this. So he's never harmed anybody at all." Dorcus said about her son. "It's a total shock to us. So that's all I can comment on it. We're gonna do whatever we can to get him help."
If Schmutzler is found guilty he will face a minimum of five years in prison supervision upon being released and $250,000 in fines.
He is currently in jail on $60,000 bail, which his parents plan to pay on Friday. At that time he will be taken to his parent's home and will be under 24-hours supervision because after he was arrested he told police he was planning on committing suicide.
He will also be wearing an electronic monitor on his foot.
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UPDATE:
42-year-old Jeffrey Schmutzler taught Spanish at Chambersburg Area High School and has been a teacher for the past 16 years.
What authorities found Thursday was very disturbing.
Here you can see Schmutzler being driven out of the courthouse by federal Marshals.
Authorities say they found four terabytes of suspected child pornography in Schmutzler’s home.
Police say some of the child pornography had students’ faces photoshopped onto them, to make it appear as though they were naked.
Along with the child pornography, police found two life-sized dolls, and letters that police believe Schmutzler wrote to himself in the form of his students, describing fantasies with him.
When police found all of the materials, Schmutzler told them that he is planning to commit suicide.
Because of this, he’ll spend Thursday night in jail, but was given the option to post a secured bond of $60,000.
If that bond is posted, he will be on home incarceration at his parents’ home with 24-hour supervision.
He will also have electronic monitoring to make sure he doesn’t leave the home.
If Schmultzer is found guilty, he will face a minimum of five years in prison, supervision upon being released, and $250,000 in fines.
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A teacher from the Chambersburg Area School District has been arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of minors.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeffrey Schmutzler of Fayetteville, was arrested Thursday. Officials say he was arrested on charges of distribution and receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Schmutzler is scheduled to appear before a judge in Federal Court in Harrisburg at 4:00 p.m. Thursday.
U.S. Attorney Smith asks anyone with information on this case to call the United States Postal Inspector Michael Corricelli at 717-257-5581.
